Wawa is one of the things I miss most about living in NJ. Getting a sub at 3 AM and then hanging out in the parking lot chatting, drinking coffee, and eating is part of the quintessential NJ experience.posted by Ferreous at 10:50 AM on August 8, 2014 [3 favorites]

Nah, sheetz has way more food options, but they're all kind of mediocre. Still, they're much better than all but wawa.posted by Ferreous at 10:57 AM on August 8, 2014 [2 favorites]

O hey I am drinking wawa coffee right now - it is actually my second cup of coffee this side of the Atlantic. Quit stalking me, Metafilter.posted by Dr Dracator at 11:07 AM on August 8, 2014 [2 favorites]

I often go to Wawa on Saturday morning and get a 24 ounce coffee, hash brown, and a breakfast (Sizzli) bagel with pork roll, and maybe a Tastykake for later. Possibly the most South Jersey experience you can have.

Or to put it in perspective: I used to work at a Wawa and will still go there with regularity.posted by graymouser at 11:11 AM on August 8, 2014 [6 favorites]

Oh man, those microwaved processed cheese bagels.posted by 256 at 11:18 AM on August 8, 2014

Wawa always had the most compelling convenience foods - Tastykake products, made-to-order hoagies, soft pretzels - and if I could still eat any of those things, I'd miss PA more. In 2011, I read that Tastykake was closing; was that fate averted? Did the taste change if it is still a going concern?posted by Radiophonic Oddity at 11:35 AM on August 8, 2014 [3 favorites]

I moved from Wawa Land to Sheetz Country almost ten years ago. At that time, Wawa had a distinct advantage in terms of made-to-order food quality, but in recent years, I started to feel like that gap had closed somewhat. That is, until I read that Wawa was going to start baking Amoroso's rolls in every store. Did that actually happen, and if so, holy shit, why am I still living in Pittsburgh?posted by tonycpsu at 12:00 PM on August 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yeah, Wawa bakes their own bread now. Since I left (more than a decade ago) they also have gone to offering employee stock ownership. Which might not seem like too big of a deal, but Wawa is privately held and currently 29% employee owned.posted by graymouser at 12:11 PM on August 8, 2014 [6 favorites]

They bake the rolls in-store now, and they're pretty good. The hoagies are actually pretty fantastic on their own -- not just in the context of other fast food.

That is, until I read that Wawa was going to start baking Amoroso's rolls in every store. Did that actually happen, and if so, holy shit, why am I still living in Pittsburgh?

Yes. I had one for lunch today. Better than their previous rolls and also actually smells like bread when baking (I AM LOOKING AT YOU, SUBWAY)posted by indubitable at 12:18 PM on August 8, 2014 [3 favorites]

Vouching! During my recent trip to Philly I was amazed by the Wawa and could NOT figure out why, as a nation, we can't ALL have that same convenience store experience.

It has been five weeks since I last lived in the same timezone as a Wawa and not a single day has gone by where I do not miss the blessedly impersonal touch screens, the packs of hummus, and the 24/7 availability of those Snyder Honey Mustard and Secret Addictive Substance pretzel things. And the no-fee ATMs.

now I am in the land of 7-11s, with their "food" and their "lines" and their non-existent public bathrooms and it's just so sad, it's so, so sadposted by jetlagaddict at 2:07 PM on August 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

Are all of the Philly Wawas gone now? I heard something to that effect. My Wawa was at 2nd and Christian.

There are still Wawas in Philly. What has changed is that they only build new ones with the included gas station. That requires a much bigger footprint than the old style stores. It's harder to fit something like that into a dense city.posted by Drinky Die at 2:16 PM on August 8, 2014

Yeah Wawa closed quite a few Center City (and surrounding) stores a few years ago. 2nd and Christian is closed although 2nd and South is open.

So it seems that I now live in Wawaland. In fact they are opening a new one right near me very soon. I see a visit in my future.posted by Splunge at 3:03 PM on August 8, 2014

the blessedly impersonal touch screens

Wawa added the touchscreens during my time there (between college semesters). Nothing was ever so welcome among the employees. The system before we had touchscreens was a convoluted one where you had to eke a hoagie order out of people who had no idea what they actually wanted, while it was the middle of lunch rush, and a half dozen people waited impatiently behind them. Then you had to look up the PLU of the sandwich they had ordered, plus any extras, and write it on the slip, then hand them the carbon copy of the sandwich form so they could get rung up. (I still remember that an Italian Classic was 10, and I think an Italian Shorti was 70. The Juniors all had weird 3-digit numbers.) This basically took up a whole person while we'd get slammed for lunch, which usually started around 11:30 AM and finally subsided around 1:30. The touchscreens were greeted like saviors.posted by graymouser at 3:09 PM on August 8, 2014 [2 favorites]

I wish Subway and Chipotle had them. I order online ahead of time at Chipotle just to avoid awkward burrito ordering.posted by Drinky Die at 3:22 PM on August 8, 2014

Huh, I didn't realize Chipotle had online ordering. Then again, I'd be worried about them being lukewarm by the time I get there, what with the mixture of hot and cold ingredients.posted by tonycpsu at 3:49 PM on August 8, 2014

Tastykake still exists. I can tell you this because I see it in supermarkets in Atlanta.

Tags

Share

About MetaFilter

MetaFilter is a weblog that anyone can contribute a link or a comment to. A typical weblog is one person posting their thoughts on the unique things they find on the web. This website exists to break down the barriers between people, to extend a weblog beyond just one person, and to foster discussion among its members.